Steve Wynn: $40 million win against Joe Francis sends message

Francis first accused Wynn of threatening to kill him and bury him in the desert. Francis repeated the accusation publicly at least twice more.

"Thank God for the justice
system that finally sent a message: If you think you're taking a cheap
shot, it may be a lot more expensive than you had imagined," Wynn said
Tuesday in a statement.

Francis attorney Aaron Aftergood said he
planned to ask for a new trial on the grounds that jurors were allowed
to penalize Francis for discussing the accusation on "Good Morning
America," an interview the panel never saw.

"I still maintain that
my life was endangered and I plan on appealing this verdict," Francis
said on his website. "One day the public will see that I am the real
victim here and not Steve Wynn."

The jury of nine men and three
women awarded Wynn $20 million Monday, finding Francis knowingly made
false statements about the death threats to TMZ and others. Wynn
testified that the "terrible lie" could harm his reputation and that of
his eponymous casino empire and potentially trigger an investigation by
Nevada gaming regulators.

Francis said he'd heard about the threats from Quincy Jones,
the Grammy-winning producer and a friend of both men. But Jones
testified during the four-day trial that Wynn never told him he wanted
Francis dead.

Because the jury found Francis acted with malice,
Wynn was allowed to seek punitive damages. That phase of the trial took
place Tuesday. Wynn attorney Barry Langberg urged jurors to "send a
message" not only to Francis, but to anyone who's disparaged someone
online.

Aftergood told jurors that Wynn was never able to show how he or his company had been financially harmed.

Within
hours, jurors awarded Wynn what his attorneys had asked for: an
additional $20 million. Wynn has vowed to donate to charity any money
beyond his attorney fees.

The Wynn-Francis feud stretches over
several years and multiple lawsuits. It began in 2008, when Wynn
officials sued Francis to collect a $2-million gambling debt. Wynn also
won $7.5 million in a defamation suit against Francis, who'd claimed the
casino used deceptive practices to keep him betting.

Francis first blurted out the death threat allegation during a hearing related to the gambling debt.